The Enabling State A focus on people and relationships PROFESSOR SUSAN DEACON THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH SOFIA, MAY 2015

The world has changed……. Connectivity Demographic change Inequalities Globalisation Geopolitics Environmental challenges Technological advance Decline in trust in institutions communication Population growth Interdependence Economic instability

We need effective action by the State……

…..but we need more too

It's time to rediscover our humanity…  To think human  To talk human  To be human

So how could the State work differently?  Recognise the limitations of its actions (and resources)  Get out of the way  Create the conditions for families and communities to flourish  Trust more and measure and regulate less  Design and deliver policies and services in partnership  Make empowerment a reality not just a word  Enable voluntary activity to flourish

And what can the rest of us do?  Be prepared to think and work differently  Don't just defend organisational or sectoral interests  Put values and vision at the core of what we do  Foster collaborative effort across private, public and third sectors  Work to identify shared aims and to achieve shared outcomes  Expose the limitations of 'top down' change  Be confident in sharing our insights, stories and experience

Time to move beyond protest…….

Is it really so complicated? "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction" E. F. Schumacher, Economist

So what gets in the way?  embedded thinking and practice  the challenges of shifting power  risk aversion  silos, sectors and interests  managerialism,measurement and regulation  politics and ideology ………and more

"The definition of insanity is… …doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Albert Einstein

It's all about people……… "To unleash the latent potential of our people requires that we give them responsibility. The untapped resources of the North Sea are as nothing compared to the untapped resources of our people, I am convinced that the great mass of our people go through life without even a glimmer of what they could have contributed to their fellow human beings. This is a personal tragedy. It's a social crime. The flowering of each individual’s personality and talents is the pre- condition for everyone's development. " Jimmy Reid, leading Scottish Socialist and Trade Union Leader